The Quickest Way to Increase Sales

At first glance I dismissed this as one of the many questions I often get from people who think there is a simple, easy answer to doing well in sales.

But after pondering this, there is a relatively simple answer:

Sell more to people at the very moment they are buying.

For more how-to info on this, I contacted my friend and colleague, Jim Domanski, the Add-On Selling Guru, He’s author of the book, "Add-On Selling: How to Squeeze Every Last Ounce of Sales Potential From Your Calls."

How to Grab More Profits Today With Add-On SellingBy Jim Domanski

With today’s economy it is especially important to leverage every single solitary customer contact you make. You need to know how to maximize your contacts to their fullest. In effect, you need to "do more with less."

I am talking about using Add-on Selling (AOS).

AOS is simple. As the name implies, it means adding something onto to a call that you make (or take) from a customer or prospect in order to maximize the moment. It is designed to get something more from your contact than you usually do.

For instance, cross selling or up selling are two huge applications that are often dismissed and ignored. But the real neat thing is that AOS can be used whether or not you get a sale.

For example you can easily use the technique with a prospect who says no to your sale by asking for a referral or by gathering an important piece of market information.

Let’s go through the process.

The Four-Step Process

Step 1: Complete your Primary Objective.

The first step is easy. Whether it is an incoming or outgoing call, complete your initial objective first. It might be an order or an inquiry. It might be a prospecting call. It might be a contact with a long term customer. Whatever or whoever, complete your primary objective first.

Step 2: Bridge to the Add-On.

Once you have completed your primary objective, the next step is to let your customer or prospect know that you are moving onto another item. You do this with a technique called a "bridge." Here are some patently simple examples,

"Jenny, thank you for your order. By the way . . ."

"By the way Mr. Potter, did you know . . ."

"I am not certain if you know this, Ms. Anderson, but . . ."

Step 3: Provide your Add-on and Explanation.

The most classic add-on is a cross sell. A cross sell is when you add a related product to the one that is being purchased:

"Thank you for your order, Tim. By the way, did you know that we have CD storages cases in the slimmer versions, on sale this week for 20% off per case."

Here’s another example with an up sell. An up sell is when you sell more of the same product:

"LaTanya, did you know that you get a price break if you order four or more of our safety posters. You are only one poster away from four and by up grading you can save 15% on your order for the year, and shipping and handling is free!"

Here’s a third example, for a referral. A referral, of course, is when you ask for the name of someone who might have an interest in your product or service:

"Mr. Jackson, I want to thank you for your time again. By the way, while I have you, can you give me the names of your counterparts in South Bend and Gainsville because I believe they could also benefit from the saving ?"

There is one critical element to making the add-on work as effectively as possible. You need to provide a simple explanation for the add-on and give or imply a benefit.

This is where most reps falter when attempting an add-on selling. For instance, they will say:

"Did you know we have CD cases on special this week?"

It’s not so much that this statement is bad, rather it could be better. By explaining the special and the amount to be saved, the customer gets a full explanation and understanding in order to make a decision.

The same applies to the up sell and referral examples as well. Providing an explanation gives the client an opportunity to assess your offer quickly and efficiently.

The add-on comes at the end of the conversation after the primary objective has been met. From the client’s perspective, the call is almost completed and so too is their time and tolerance. The add-on must be brief and to the point. It cannot raise questions. The add-on should be easy to evaluate and easy for the client to say ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ Your add-on should be prepared ahead of time, and must have an explanation that is benefit oriented.

Step 4: Close the Add-On.

In both the cross sell and up sell examples above, the rep needs to ask for the sale to bring closure to the add-on. For example:

"Would you like a case?"

"Can I add that to your order?"

These closes get the client to take action one way or the other. This saves you time and it saves your client time. The worst that they can say is no. And that’s no big deal. In the referral example, the referral is presented as a question. There is an explanation and an implied benefit molded into the question. Consequently, the customer must respond.

Summary
AOS is a powerful way to squeeze and wring every ounce of potential from the calls you make or take. It doesn’t have to work all the time. That is not the point. If only ten or twenty percent respond to you add-on, what would that be worth to you?

(Jim Domanski is President of Teleconcepts Consulting, a telemarketing consulting and training firm. Contact him at 35 VanStone, Kanata, Ontario, Canada. 613-591-1998. His book "Add-On Selling" is available right now for download, and you can get the hardcopy at http://www.businessbyphone.com/add-on.htm)

Art, good points about upselling and add-on selling. I’ve seen to many sales blown because the rep went all-in on the first pitch. As you say, it’s better to let them know additional benefits after they’ve already made the deal for the initial offer. You can easily lose a qualified sales lead by coming across too strong in the first part of the interaction.

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